Auger for dispensing waste toner

Abstract

A waste toner container and auger therefor. Auger flights have a continuously decreasing flight pitch from the front of the auger to the back of the auger. The auger includes a flightless portion near the back wall of the container.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to electrophotographic imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a waste toner collection apparatus used therein.2. Description of the Related ArtIn the electrophotographic process commonly used in imaging apparatus such as laser printers, copy machines and the like, an electrostatic image is created upon a photosensitive member, such as a roll or belt. Visible electroscopic marking particles, commonly referred to as toner, are applied to the electrostatic image on the photosensitive material. Thereafter, the toner image is transferred to the desired media, which may include paper, transparency sheets or the like. The toner image is subsequently affixed to the underlying media by the application of heat and pressure in a fuser.While a substantial portion of the toner image is transferred to the media, a residual amount of toner may remain on the photosensitive member. To prepare the photosensitive me...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

An advantage of the present invention is that waste toner container volume is used more efficiently.

is that waste toner container volume is used more efficiently.

Another advantage is having a waste toner container auger having reduced drive torque requirements.

Yet another advantage is having a waste toner container having reduced toner spillage or leakage.

Problems solved by technology

Toner remaining from the previous image can decrease the print quality of a subsequent image.

However, such a removal process can be messy, and contamination of the machine interior can adversely affect print quality.

Clean-up thereof is difficult.

A smaller capacity container requires design for periodic user servicing, or can result in service calls simply to remove and empty or replace the waste toner container.

Even with the high toner transfer efficiencies common in present day machines, with the extended life expectancy also common in current machines, the interior machine space required for waste toner collection can be significant.

If the waste toner container is not efficiently packed with waste toner, a larger volume is required, which may present design difficulties in current machine compact architecture having limited internal space.

While such augers have been helpful in distributing waste toner along the length of the container, lateral distribution of the waste toner away from the auger has not been efficient.

Further, toner can pack between the last flight of the auger and the back wall of the container, undesirably increasing the driving torque required for rotating the auger.

Toner compressed between the last auger flight and back wall of the container also can leak around the auger shaft in the bearing hole in the back of the container.

Toner particles leaking from the waste toner container can contaminate working surfaces of the machine, interfering with operation of the machine and degrading print quality.

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